The Latrobe Ice Cats prevailed in a big rivalry game vs the Hempfield Spartans on 11/7 by a score of 7-2. Despite the score, the game was very tight. Latrobe took a 3-2 lead into the third period before scoring 4 goals in the third and putting Hempfield away. Hempfield played a very physical style but the Cats stayed focused and disciplined throughout the game and inflicted their damage on the scoreboard.
Latrobe has another challenge coming up against the Penn Trafford Warriors on 11/14 at Kirk S. Nevin Arena. The Cats look to build on their disciplined and calm play style and hold onto the focus they showed in the Hempfield game to come out on top against Penn Trafford.
Latrobe wants to play with more physicality than they did in the Hempfield game while staying disciplined. Senior defenseman Bryant Dumnich said, “We need to be more physical. We have talked about it all season, and we are now starting to find ways to be more physical.” The physical aspect of the game is one that can strike fear into the opponent. Dumnich said, “We need to hit kids going into the corner to make them not want to play with us.”
The Cats also are looking for some of the younger players on the team to make their mark on the physical side of the game as the season rolls on. Senior forward Dale Henigin said, “We got some smaller kids on the team this year, but those kids and those freshmen can’t be afraid to go in there and lay a hit.”
The Cats have had a lot of ups and downs this season, but it is starting to seem like the team has finally found their identity. Latrobe finds their most success when they play with a calm style and adapt to the speed of the game. Penalties have killed the Cats in their losses this season, but when they play disciplined and stay out of the penalty box Latrobe is a force to be reckoned with.
The team has also finally been able to find their offense and powerplay. The Cats look a lot more organized offensively and have been setting up their powerplay very well. Henigin said, “We work on the powerplay for at least 20 minutes every practice so that builds chemistry between our top offensive guys.” As the season rolls on the powerplay has only gotten better, as a 5 on three power play to start the third period vs Hempfield is what sparked a 4-goal period for the Cats to come away with the win. The issues with goal scoring that were haunting Latrobe as the season started are now a vocal point of the Cat’s game plan and success.
Heading into the Penn Trafford game, the boys will need to hone in on all these aspects of the game as Penn Trafford is a strong team this season. The Warriors have a record of 6-0, as the Cats come into the game with a record of 3-2. Penn Trafford is the strong favorite in this big matchup as they are viewed as one of the strongest teams in PIAA AA hockey this season due to their top offensive line. The three players on that line have 40 points in the team’s six games so far this year and the Cats know they need to shut down those players.
“They have three really good kids so we need to watch that one line.” Dumnich looks to use past experience against these kids as a weapon to slow them down. “I’ve practiced and played with the kids before, if you hit them during practice they shy away. We need to hit them big-time,” said Dumnich.
As the Cats are hitting their stride, they have playoff aspirations on their mind. A game like this can be a huge confidence boost for the team to prove to themselves they have what it takes to compete with the best teams in AA hockey this year.
